Coconut Palm, Coconut
Cocos nucifera

Family: Arecaceae

What it is like

Coconut, cocus nucifera, is a monoecious large palm of about 30 m tall with long pinnate leaves that break away cleanly leaving the unbranched trunk smooth. The fruit is a drupe comprised of three layers: the exocarp, mesocarp (coconut husk), and the endocarp. The root system of coconut is fibrous. There is a dwarf variety. It is known as the tree of life for all of its plant parts has a wide range of uses. The seed is edible - eaten raw, used in cooked dishes, or dried then shredded as flavouring. Coconut milk or cream is commonly used as ingredient in many African and Asian food and bakery products. The seed also yields edible oil that is used in cooking, making margarine, shortening, filled milk, ice cream, confectionaries, etc. Coconut juice is a popular refreshing drink. The inflorescence is cooked as vegetable. Further, it yields a sugary sap which can be fermented to make an alcoholic beverage. The apical bud is edible as well but harvesting it will kill the trunk. The roots of coconut tree are roasted and used as a substitute for coffee. The pith of the stem is made into bread, added to soups, or pickled. Furthermore, coconut is widely used in traditional medicine. The seed oil is rubbed onto stiff joints and used in the treatment of rheumatism and back pain. Coconut milk, on the other hand, is used to treat fish poisoning. Coconut juice is drink to treat kidney problems. The root is used to treat stomach pains and blood in the urine. Coconut fibre or husk is widely used in making peat-free composts and as mulch. When burnt, it is used as fertilizer. The oil is used in making soap, detergents, cosmetics, candles, etc. The leaves are interwoven and used as thatching materials or in making baskets and mats. The midribs of leaflets are made into brooms. The roots may be used as a toothbrush. Coconut seed shells are used as cups, bowls, musical instruments, etc. or made into charcoal. The wood is used for the structural framework of houses, poles, furniture, and parquet flooring.

Cocos nucifera is an evergreen Tree growing to 25 m (82ft) by 7 m (23ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Wind. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid, very alkaline and saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 25

Where it is found

Commonly found along tropical seashores, sometimes extending inland on alluvial plains with a high water table, but avoiding waterlogged soils.

Pantropical.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andamans, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caribbean, Carolines, Central Africa, Central America, Chad, Chile, China, Cocos Island, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Fiji, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guam, Guianas, Guinea, GuinŽe, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Marianas, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Nuie, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rotuma, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, St Helena, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tobago, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad, Tuvalu, Uganda, USA, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wallis & Futuna, West Africa, West Indies, Yap, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 5

Edible portion: Nut (Seed), Sap, Cabbage, Nut milk, Apple, Palm heart. Seed - raw or cooked A very versatile food, being eaten raw and used in a wide range of cooked dishes. The seed is often dried then shredded to be used as a flavouring in cakes, curries etc. Coconut milk or cream, which is pressed from the mix of freshly grated seed with water, has been a traditional ingredient in many African and especially Asian food and bakery products, and is becoming more widely known The flesh inside a half-ripe seed is gelatinous and clear in colour, it is eaten as a delicacy either raw or cooked. An edible oil can be extracted from the seed. It is widely used in cooking, making margarines, shortening, filled milk, ice cream, confectioneries etc. The oil is traditionally extracted by grating the kernel, macerating with water and boiling it - the oil floats to the surface and is skimmed off. Most oil, however, is obtained by pressing the kernel. The liquid inside unripe fruits is a delicious refreshing drink. It is cool even on a hot tropical day. Inflorescence - cooked and used as a vegetable. A sugary sap can be obtained from the stalk of the inflorescence. It is obtained by tapping or cutting the stalks of young flower bunches. This sap can be fermented into an alcoholic beverage. Apical bud - raw. Eating this bud effectively kills the trunk since it is unable to produce side branches. The roots are roasted and used as a coffee substitute. The pith of the stem is made into a bread, added to soups or pickled.

Oil: Oil

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Sap: usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.

Coffee: the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.

Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.

Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.

Milk: made from plants, that is.

Sweetener: includes sugar substitutes.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The coconut is widely used in traditional medicine, where it is ascribed a very wide range of applications. The seed oil is cytotoxic, emetic, emollient, hypotensive and purgative. The oil is rubbed onto stiff joints. It is also used to treat rheumatism and back pains or as an ointment to maintain smooth, soft skin. Mixed with turmeric, it is used to treat sick new born infants and women who have just given birth. To place a baby from a breech to a normal position in the mother?s womb, the abdomen is massaged with coconut oil. Coconut milk is diuretic. It is used to treat fish poisoning. The juice from a green coconut is given to women who have difficult pregnancies. Juice from the fruit is taken to treat kidney problems. The root is employed in treating stomach-ache and blood in the urine. It is boiled in combination with Ruellia tuberosa root and used as a treatment for bladder ailments and as an aphrodisiac. In Fiji, weakness after childbirth is treated with liquid extracted from the stem. Juice from the midrib at the lower base of the leaf is used in treating maternal postpartum illness. In New Guinea, sores and scabies are treated with parts of the plant. A poultice made from the apical bud is used externally to treat ulcers. The coconut is said to have vermicide properties. Haemorrhaging is stopped with the use of the dry, spongy kernel. In Solomon Islands, diarrhoea and dysentery are treated with parts of this plant.

Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.

Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.

Aphrodisiac: Increases the sexual appetite.

Cytotoxic: Destroys body cells. Used in the treatment of diseases such as cancer, where it is targeted against the cancer cells.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.

Emetic: Induces vomiting.

Emollient: Softens the skin, causing warmth and moisture.

Hypotensive: Reduces blood pressure, it is used in the treatment of high blood pressure

Kidney: Used in the treatment of kidney diseases

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Purgative: A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.

Other

Rating: 5

Landscape uses: Seashore, Specimen, Street tree. Agroforestry Uses: The fibre around the seeds is widely used in making peat-free composts where it replaces the peat. The burnt husks form a useful sort of potash that is used to fertilize the trees. The husks also make valuable mulch for moisture conservation in the dry season and help to suppress weeds. Other Uses An oil obtained from the seed contains fatty alcohol and glycerine. It is widely used in making goods such as soaps, detergents, cosmetics, candles, pharmaceuticals etc and to a lesser extent as a lubricant. The oil can be used as a substitute for diesel oils, for electric generating plants and motor vehicles. This use, however, depends on the price of other fuels being high if it is to be economic. The leaves are interwoven and used as a roofing or thatching material for walls of huts. They can also be woven into mats, baskets etc. The midribs of the leaflets are used for brooms. The root may be used as a toothbrush. The fibrous material that surrounds the seed is known as coir. There are three types of fibre obtained from the husks: Mat fibre or yarn fibre. This is used in making mats. Bristle fibre. This is used for brush making. Mattress fibre. Used in stuffing mattresses and in upholstery. The fibre can also be used for making ropes and cordage. The hard, woody shell surrounding the seed can be used as cups, bowls, in craft work, buttons, combs, bangles, musical instruments, etc. Coconut-shell flour, obtained from grinding clean, mature coconut shells to fine powder, is used as a filler in the thermoplastic industry and as an abrasive for cleaning machinery. A good quality charcoal is made from the shell of the seed. It gives off an intense heat when burnt. The charcoal is very absorptive and has been used in gas masks. Coconut-shell charcoal may be processed further into activated carbon that has many industrial applications, including general water purification, crystalline sugar preparation and gold purification. The high moisture content of the wood and the difficulty of splitting it has made it relatively unpopular as fuel. The trunk of palm trees has its hardest and most wood-like portion towards the outside of the stem, the inner portion being very fibrous. The outer portion of the coconut stem is a widely used source of timber in the tropics. The stem is red-brown with a coarse texture and straight to entangled grain. The outer portion is hard, heavy, but not very durable. It seasons slowly, with a slight risk of checking, but a high risk of distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. It has a high blunting effect, stellite-tipped and tungsten-carbide tools are recommended; nailing and screwing are good, but require pre-boring; gluing is correct. The wood has traditionally been used in tropical countries for the structural framework of house. Coconut timber taken from the lower and middle parts of the trunk can be used for load-bearing structures in buildings, such as frames, floors and trusses. Coconut trunks can be used for poles, as they have great strength and flexibility. The wood can also be used for high quality furniture and parquet flooring.

Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.

Beads: Used as necklaces etc.

Broom: Used for sweeping the floor etc.

Brush: Used for cleaning clothes, as a paintbrush etc.

Buttons: Plants that can be used as buttons. Not including making buttons from wood.

Charcoal: Used for fuel, drawing, deodorant, filter, fertilizer etc.

Compost: Plants used for activating compost heaps, providing biomass for composting, using as instant compost etc.

Containers: Plants, such as gourds, that can be used as containers. Does not include baskets or containers made from wood.

Cosmetic: Used to improve the physical appearence of a person.

Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.

Filter: Used to strain out particles from liquids.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Furniture: A few miscellaneous uses that do not fit easily into other headings.

Lighting: Plants that can be used as torches etc. See also Oil and Wax.

Mulch: Used for covering the ground to conserve the nutrients in the soil.

Musical: Specific mention of plants used as musical instruments. Does not include the various woods that can be used for making musical instruments.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Potash: Used for making glass, soap and as a fertilizer.

Roofing: Used to give a waterproof roof to buildings. See also Thatching.

Scourer: Used for cleaning pots, pans, plates etc.

Soap making: Plants used as an ingredient in making soaps. Does not include the essential oils, dyes and oils that are also used in making soap.

String: Plants that can be used for string or can be easily made into a string. See also Fibre. Plants for ropes may be included.

Stuffing: Used in making soft toys, mattresses, pillows etc.

Thatching: Used for making thatched roofs.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.

Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world. The annual value of each is more than $1 billion US Examples include coconuts, almonds, and bananas.

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Other Systems: Homegarden: Tropical multistrata agroforestry (multi-story combinations of trees, crops, domestic animals in the homestead).

Other Systems: Multistrata: Multistrata agroforests feature multiple layers of trees often with herbaceous perennials, annual crops, and livestock.

Staple Crop: Oil: (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

Staple Crop: Sugar: Perennial sugar crops include sugarcane and compare favorably to annuals.

Agroforestry Services: Crop shade: Plants providing crop shade especially trees.

Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world. The annual value of each is more than $1 billion US Examples include coconuts, almonds, and bananas.

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Other Systems: Homegarden: Tropical multistrata agroforestry (multi-story combinations of trees, crops, domestic animals in the homestead).

Other Systems: Multistrata: Multistrata agroforests feature multiple layers of trees often with herbaceous perennials, annual crops, and livestock.

Staple Crop: Sugar: Perennial sugar crops include sugarcane and compare favorably to annuals.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Coconuts grow well in lowland tropical regions as far as 26° north and south of the Equator and up to a maximum elevation of around 1,000 metres, though most commercial cultivation takes place within 20° of the Equator and below 300 metres. They grow best in areas with a high rainfall. Plants succeed in moist tropical climates where temperatures never fall below 10c, the average annual rainfall is 1,500mm or more and the driest month has 25mm or more rain. The coconut palm thrives in a wide range of soils, from coarse sand to clay, so long as the soils have adequate drainage and aeration. Requires a well-drained soil with a high water table. Plants grow well in full sun, even when small. Plants can tolerate at least some maritime exposure with salt spray and somewhat saline soil conditions. Coconut palms are halophytic and tolerate salt in the soil well. Plants are intolerant of drought. Coconut can grow in soils with a wide range of pH but grows best at pH 5.5 - 7. Coconut palm is one of the most widely grown tree crops in the tropical countries. Its growth characteristics are ideal for small production and also for combining with other crops. The crown morphology and the relatively wide spacing facilitate the planting of a wide spectrum of field crops in coconut plantations. It has therefore been intercropped with cereals (cassava, sweet potatoes, yams) or fruits (bananas, passion fruit, pineapples and ground nuts) in many countries. Very occasionally a small pearl-like concretion, or 'coconut pearl', is found in the cavity of the nut. Generally about the size of a canary's egg or even that of a cherry, they are white or bluish white in colour with a pearl-like lustre and harder in texture than a pearl. Made almost entirely of a form of lime or calcium carbonate, they are greatly prized and often used in jewellery. The tall varieties reproduce by cross-pollination. Male flowers open first, producing pollen for about 2 weeks. Female flowers are not usually receptive until about 3 weeks after the opening of the inflorescence, making cross-pollination the usual pattern. Reproduction in dwarf varieties is generally through self-pollination. Female flowers are receptive about a week after the male flowers open, both ending at about the same time. Tall palms tend to be slow maturing, flowering 6 - 10 years after planting and with a life-span of 80 - 100 years. Dwarf palms begin bearing in their third year and have a productive life of 30 - 35(-40) years. The trees flower and fruit all year round. A new inflorescence is produced every month, whilst the fruit takes a year to mature.

Propagating it: Seed - Fresh seed germinates readily at 27 - 30°c. The seed has no dormancy, and growth of the embryo and seedling is continuous. Germination may begin while the fruits are still attached to the palm. For seed propagation, nuts are collected from selected mother palms or special seed gardens. Tissue culture is a popular method of vegetative propagation for producing a large number of progeny.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

A great capacity for natural dispersal with the nut surviving up to 120 days floating in sea water and germinating when they make landfall. Once established in new coastal areas, C. nucifera can grow forming dense monospecific thickets. In addition to its great dispersal ability, C. nucifera has high germination rates, and nuts have no dormancy and do not require special treatments to germinate, which are also elements facilitating its establishment and spread into new habitats. Some evidence of invasiveness in Puerto Rico.

Its other names

Local names

Coconut, cocus nucifera. Other Names: coconut palm; copra. Spanish: coco de agua; cocotero; palma de coco; palmera cocotera; palmera de coco. French: coco; cocotier; cocoyer; noix de coco Chinese: ye zi Portuguese: coqueiro. American Samoa: niu. Brazil: coco da India; coco de Bahia; coco-da-bahia; coco-da-’ndia; coqueiro; coqueiro-da-bahia; coqueiro-da-’ndia; inai‡-guau’ba;Cambodia: d'ong. Caribbean: cocos; cocospalm; klapperboom. Cuba: coco blanco; coco indio; coco morado. Germany: Kokosnusspalme. India: narikel; nariyal; narlu; thengu; yubi. Indonesia: kelapa. Italy: cocco. Laos: phaawz. Lesser Antilles: cocotier; noix de cocos. Malaysia: kelapa. Netherlands: Kokospalm. Northern Mariana Islands: nizok. Philippines: iniœg; lubi; niog; niy—g. Sweden: Kokospalm. Thailand: ma phrao. Vietnam: da.

Synonyms

Calappa nucifera (L.) Kuntze Cocos indica Royle Cocos nana Griff. Diplothemium henryanum F.Br. Palma

Coconut Palm, Coconut Cocos nucifera